Looking for the best DVD ripper software for Mac? Read this review.
To watch your DVD movies on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, you need to install a DVD ripper software program on your computer. These programs read the DVD disc, decode the DRM protection,* and copy the video files to your computer’s hard drive in the file format of your choice. From there you can upload your movie to any device you like, or watch it on your computer.
Icoolsoft DVD Ripper for Mac Review
Reg. $39.95
Special Sale $34.95
Mac OS X v10.4-10.6
(If you don’t need the “Extended Download Service” add-on, you can delete it from the order form.)
Icoolsoft DVD Ripper stands out as the best among all the Mac software we tested. There are hundreds of software brands selling DVD rippers over the internet. Choosing the best one can be overwhelming. Here’s what we like about Icoolsoft:
- The software finds the DVD disc on its own and presents each chapter as a preview image on a menu. It’s super easy to identify what’s in each chapter and check off the ones you want to convert, or just convert the entire disc. Icoolsoft DVD Ripper is the smartest software we’ve ever seen when it comes to choosing input files to rip. Most ripper programs give you a long list of coded video file names with no preview image and no explanation of what’s inside them.
- Editing and trimming functions come built into the software. Instead of ripping the files to your hard drive and then editing them, Icoolsoft lets you edit them before you rip. You get to choose which data you want in your output file and how it will look.
- The output file format menu is very well organized and easy to navigate. It integrates functions (such as HD) and device names (such as iPhone 4) into one menu, with an icon for each option. No more scrolling through long lists of file extension names and guessing at which one will work for your device.
- The image quality of the converted files is just amazing – really the best we’ve seen. It’s sharp, crystal clear, and the audio and video synch perfectly. It’s so good that it’s actually hard to tell it apart from the original DVD, even on the Mac’s high-resolution display. Even the preview window image quality is excellent!
- The user interface is well designed. We didn’t have to squint and hunt for the important functions like output format and the “Convert” button.
- Outputs to all devices, including iPad 2.
How to Use Icoolsoft DVD Ripper
Here’s a quick demo of the product in action. Check out the image quality in these screenshots!
The first step is to slide the DVD into your computer’s drive slot. When you open Icoolsoft DVD Ripper, it automatically finds the DVD drive and prompts you to click “Go” to start the scan.
After scanning, you’ll see a screen like this:
Each small preview icon is one chapter of your DVD movie. By checking and unchecking the boxes next to each icon, you can rip one chapter off the disc, or check them all and rip the whole thing. If you click the “Play” arrow on a preview icon, you can look at the preview window and see exactly which chapter you’re getting – complete with audio soundtrack.
We picked one chapter to rip, a 5-minute clip from the second DVD of Bruce Springsteen’s Live in Barcelona concert movie. The output file is set to MP4 so we can play it back on an older iPod.
Click the big blue “Convert” button and the ripper goes to work. It’s wicked fast – the rip took about 2 minutes for a 5-minute clip. You can watch progress in real time in the monitor window – there’s no audio for this function (it would sound funny anyway since it’s not at real time speed), but the image quality in this screenshot gives you some idea of how nicely Icoolsoft preserves the original.
Here’s the output, uploaded to YouTube. Watch The Boss and enjoy!
*This software is only to be used for copying digital materials that you either own yourself, or which the copyright owner has granted you permission to copy.